Heating element for incubators



R. P. RHODES.

HEATING ELEMENT FOR IYNCUBATORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5. 1921.

1,408,308. Patented Feb.28, 1922.

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I EOWLHND R B70 aftouwgs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROWLAND I. RHODES, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIG-NOR TO ELECTRIC GON- TBOLLER COMPANY, OF INDIANAIOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION.

Application filed March 5, 1921.

To all whom itmay concern Be it known that I, ROWLAND P. Rrronns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Heating Element for Incubators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

This invention relates to heating means for incubators and to the particular construction and mounting of the heating element therein. Heretofore the heating elements have been mounted around the periphery of the incubator, sometimes within the top or even suapported down in the incubator spaced below the top.

It is the object of this invention to provide a heating element which may be easily and readily secured directly to the top of the incubator to conform to the shape thereof and cover the entire area, whereby an equal distribution of heat and evenness of temperature in the egg chamber, may be had. The construction of the element also enables it to be adapted and fitted to various types of incubators for transforming them from the old type of'lamp heated incubators to the more modern electrically heated type.

The full nature of this invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an incubator having a hinge head with a hinge hood with the hood opening showing the position of the heating element mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the heating element. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

There is shown in the drawings an incubator comprising a box 10 mounted on legs 11 and having a transparent opening 12 mounted in the hinged door 13. On top of the box there is hinged a lid 14; having a Specification of Letters Patent.

HEATING ELEMENT FOR INCUBATORS.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

Serial No. 449,866.

heating element 15 covering the entire area thereof and tacked or secured thereon in any suitable manner. There is provided an automatic heat regulating device and thermostat for controlling the temperature and the current entering the element, which is not shown herein as it forms no part of this invention.

The heating element 15 comprises a sheet of fabric such as canvas or the like on which is stitched, by the threads 16, a resistance wire 17 surrounded by insulating material 18.- The electrical insulated resistance wire 17 is passed back and forth across the fabric as illustrated in Fig. 2 with its ends terminating near the center thereof and connected to the cables 19 which are suitably connected with a source of current. The wire 17 sets up a resistance when the current is passed therethrough so as to generate heat in the usual and well known manner over the en tire area of the element 15. By means of this arrangement the heat will be distributed equally over the entire layer of eggs below, and the element may be formed to readily be installed on incubators of varying shapes.

The invention claimed is:

In combination with an incubator in which a layer of eggs is placed to be hatched, and a top on said incubator above said eggs, of an electrical element comprising a flexible fabric base cut to conform to the general shape of the top of said incubator and secured thereto so as to cover substantially the entire surface thereof, electrical resistance wires stitched to said fabric base so as to pass back and forth and around the same, conform to the shape and cover substantially the entire surface thereof for generating heat when electrically connected, for equally distributing the heat generated therefrom over the entire surface of the layer of eggs contained therein.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ROWLAND P. RHODES. 

